Mycobacterium marinum is a leisurely growing bacterium that causes disease in fish and people. This bacterium occurs in bodies of fresh or salt water in diverse parts of the world. While Mycobacterium marinum can sometimes cause illness in fish, they infrequently do in humans. People who have breaks in the skin when in contact are more susceptible to contagion.
In the United States the majority human infections with this bacterium were due to exposures to fish tanks. Mycobacterium marinum cannot be spread from person to person. After exposure, symptoms usually appear within two to four weeks. There have been reported cases of developed systems after as long as two to four months due to the slow-growing nature of this bacterium. The most frequent symptom is a slowly emergent nodule at the site the bacteria entered the body. Mycobacterium marinum usually enters the body at certain predisposed sites such as: fingers, hands, elbows and knees. The infection can also spread to bones and joints if treatment is not begun quickly enough. Later the nodule becomes an ulcer (enlarging sore), with minimal pain. Nearby lymph nodes swell as the body attempts to fight the infection.
There is not a great variety of treatments for infection of Mycobacterium marinum. An assortment of antibiotics have successfully treated this infection including: minocycline, tetracycline, doxycycline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, amikacin, and ethambutol plus rifampin; treatment failures with all of these regimens have also been reported. Lesions may heal spontaneously if the infection does not spread, but that could require several years. (2)
Steps to reduce risks of infection:
1. People should avoid fresh or salt water behavior if there are open cuts, scrapes, or sores on their skin, especially in bodies of water where Mycobacterium marinum is known to subsist.
2. Persons with undermined immune systems can reduce their risk of infection by carefully covering any open wounds during fresh or salt water activities and while handling any sort of fish or cleaning out fish tanks.
3. People should wear heavy gloves while cleaning or processing fish. Everyone should wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after fish processing.
4. People should wear waterproof gloves while cleaning home aquariums or fish tanks
5. Ensure habitual and adequate chlorination of swimming pools to kill any bacteria that may be present. (5)
Table 1. Laboratory-confirmed cases of Mycobacterium marinum in the five regions of the United States (40 states reporting), by year, 1993–1996a Region Northeast Southeast
North central South central Mountain Pacific Total The incidence ofMycobacterium marinum is likely underreported, as identification of the infection is often missed. Global frequency and prevalence are unknown due to lack of examination. The largest percentage of cases has been found in the Southeast and the North central regions of the United States. No known race, sexual, or age predilection exists with Mycobacterium marinum. (6)
References:
1) http://www.sanger.ac.uk/Projects/M_marinum/
2) http://dermatology.cdlib.org/DOJvol14num1/case_reports/warren2.html
3) http://www.microbeworld.org/htm/aboutmicro/what_m_do/profiles/trucksis.htm
4) http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/429961_6
5) http://www.tray.dermotalogy.uiowa.edu/MMarin01.htm
6) http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol5no3/dobos,htm
7) Balows, Albert; Dwarkin, Martin; Hardy, Wim; Heinz-Schleiffer,Karl; Truper, G. Hans. The Prokaryotes. Springer-Verlag. New York, 1992.
8) Brodk, Thomas. Biology of Microorganisms. Prentice-Hall, Inc. New Jersey, 1974
*Disclaimer - This report was written by a student participaring in a microbiology course at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. The accuracy of the contents of this report is not guaranteed and it is recommended that you seek additional sources of information to verify the contents.
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